Disco Mobile CKOI

Most mobile DJs will need numerous form of lighting to illumine the guests and the dance floor. This guide is intended to aid beginner mobile DJs design their primary lighting rig by taking into account a lot of of the less evident issues that become apparent only after working with a mobile lighting rig for a lot of time. Tempting as it may be, the best option is not to jump straight in to buying the latest and greatest lighting effects. By taking a step back and planning the overall package, you will be capable to design an impressive, practical set up that serves you well for a potpourri of functions and won’t break your back or your bank balance.

There’s no right or defective way, and the relative importance of each of these issues will vary depending on the type of functions at which you perform, your preferences, and even your transport. You might choose to ignore numerous of them altogether, but it’s necessary to give them a heap of thought before you commence assembling your equipment.

Practical Considerations

Mobile DJs carry out in all sorts of dissimilar venues, with wildly varying dimensions and facilities. One day you might be in a hotel ball room with all the space and power you need, and the next in a marquee with a low ceiling, uneven floor, and restricted power supply. Most of a DJ’s instrumentation is adaptable sufficient to fit into most spaces without too much trouble. Speakers, whether they’re on stands or not (and in most cases they will have to be), may be positioned independently of each other so they don’t need a space of rigidly fixed dimensions. However the lighting rig may often times be the biggest item to be set up and might need a significant amount of power, and may hence be the most difficult to accommodate in a potpourri of venues.

The layout of your lighting rig needs to take into account respective practical considerations:

• Size when packed — will it effortlessly fit into your vehicle?
• Size when set up — will it effortlessly fit into most venues, or be adaptable sufficient that you may quickly alter it if necessary e.g. by using a shorter length of truss or just one T-bar?
• Weight — some lighting fixtures are heavy. Can you carry all of the constituents without hurting yourself? Are your lighting stands strong sufficient to support them all safely?
• Carrying in/out — how numerous trips will it take to carry all of your instrumentation into/out of a venue?
• Speed to set up — you’ll oftentimes find you don’t have much time to set up, and not anyone wants to wait around for hours while you pack down at the end. How long will it take to assemble/disassemble?
• Power — how much power will be required to run all of your lighting combined? Finding more power sockets takes time and power furnishes are now and again fixed (e.g. in a marquee running from a generator). Modern, LED-based lighting effects use very little power and may be a great support here.

Stands

Lighting effects work best when raised up high so that the beams shine down from above and are in a good position to cover a wide area. While others do exist, the types of lighting stand that are most practical for a mobile DJ are:

• T-bar — a horizontal bar mounted on a tripod.
• Truss — a horizontal metal structure mounted on two vertical stands, consisting either of tripods or more truss sections.

Both may be very effective. Trussing may look very impressive but is in general more bulky to transport, takes longer to set up, and is less adaptable. T-bars are posing no difficulty to transport/setup, and may be positioned independently to concede dandier flexibleness when setting up. Depending on your transport arrangements both types may now and again be pre-rigged with cables and even lighting effects, saving time and venture when setting up and packing away, altho in the case of trussing this may make it even more bulky and difficult to set up in a tight space.

Lighting Effects

Not only will your lighting rig need to be adaptable sufficient to physically fit into a potpourri of venues, it also needs to be adaptable in terms of the effects it produces. Including a assortment of effects will mean you have something suitable to all events and types of music, and also helps to keep the show interesting by varying the effects all around the party.

The main types of effect to consider including, in order of importance, are:

• Colour wash — PAR cans, LED bars, etc. to throw coloured light over a wide area.
• Room-filling effects — twisters, gobo flowers, etc.
• Scanners/moving heads — scan beams and patterns around the room / dance floor.
• Special effects — lasers, strobes, etc.

A haze or fog/smoke machine helps to spotlight the light show by making the beams visible in mid-air, but beware of using them in venues with fire alarms. The aftermaths of triggering a venue’s fire alarm system could include an evacuated venue, a ruined party, and a visit from the local fire service!

Controlling the Lights

Having a assortment of effects is no use without a way of controlling and switching amidst them. This may be as simple as a power switch panel (19″ rack-mount versions are available), or for better control use a DMX controller. With a suitable DMX controller and DMX compatible lights, it is possible to control your effects such that they synchronise and supplement each other. Although it is more perplexed and requires more venture and equipment, this is the best way to manufacture a veritably professional looking show.

Use gentle, slow-moving effects for slow music, and more energetic effects for more quickly music. Everything gets boring after a while, so vary the effects all around the event and use special effects sparingly at suitable moments.

Presentation

The look of your system is important. Although most persons won’t know specific makes/models of lighting fixtures, they will detect if your set up is untidy or unprofessional. Try to aim for reasonably consistent looking fixtures. Stick to a colour scheme if possible — most lighting effects, clamps, and stands are black and silver. Use all black cables and keep them tidy by taping or strapping them to your lighting stands. Try to set up the effects so that they are evenly circulated and harmonious on your stand(s).

Although they might not be visible for the duration of a performance, the look of any boxes or cases is likewise important. A neat row of professional flight cases gives a far more professional aspect to guests and venue staff than a pile of tatty cardboard boxes.

Cost

There’s a vast array of lighting effects available, ranging from very lowcost to exceedingly expensive. Be realistic when it comes to what you need and what you may afford. Set a budget and undertake to stick to it. Buy the best you may afford within your budget — you’ll regret buying cheap instrumentation if you’re quickly forced to upgrade to something better. However, don’t worry when it comes to getting the best of everything — a well designed setup of consistent quality is what’s most important.

Discomobile

It’s the uttermost dance party with Polly! Check her out as she moves to the coolest tunes like never before. Spin the DJ booth to the left and watch Polly carry out her latest dance moves to music on either the top floor or the lower dance floor. Spin the DJ booth to the right and check out galore more fresh dance moves. Want to change Polly’s look’ Head over to the dressing room and color change her hair, and stop at the juice bar to grab a snack.

Playset includes Polly doll and a large total of accessories. Colors and decorations may vary. Dolls cannot stand alone off the platform. Requires AG13 button cells, included. Measures 7.5″W x 5.25″D x 7″H.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #220512 in Toys & Games
• Brand: Mattel
• Model: K8362
• Dimensions: 8.66″ h x 10.24″ w x 5.91″ l, 1.15 pounds

• It’s the uttermost dance party with Polly
• Check our star performer out as she moves to the coolest tunes like never before
• Spin the DJ booth to the left and watch Polly carry out her latest dance moves to music on either the top floor or the lower dance floor
• Spin the DJ booth to the right and check out some more fresh dance moves
• Includes Polly and a large total of accessories